dom of God; from him you shall have weighty joys, sweet embracements, and ravishing consolations. And how can it be otherwise, when your souls shall really communicate with God, and by faith have a true taste, and by the spirit have a sure earnest of all heavenly preferments; having, as it were, one foot in heaven, whilst you live upon earth? O then, what an eucharistical love* will arise from your thankful hearts extending itself first towards God, and then towards man for God's sake! and then, according to the measure of your faith, will be your willing obedience to God, and also to man for God's sake; for obedience being the kindly fruit of love, a loving soul bringeth forth this fruit, as kindly as a good tree bringeth forth her fruit; for the soul, having tasted Christ in a heavenly communion, so loves him, that to please him is a pleasure and delight to herself: and the more Christ Jesus comes into the soul by his Spirit, the more spiritual he makes her; and turns her will into his will, making her of one heart, mind, and will, with him. So that, for a conclusion, this I say, that if the everlasting love of God in Jesus Christ be truly made known to your souls, according to the measure thereof, you shall have no need to frame and force yourselves to love and do good works, for your souls will ever stand bound+ to love God, and to keep his commandments, and it will be your meat and drink to do his will. And truly this love of God will cut down self-love and love of the world, for the sweetness of Christ's Spirit will turn the sweetness of the flesh into bitterness, and the sweetness of the world into contempt. And if you can behold Christ with open face, you shall see and feel things unutterable, and be changed from beauty to beauty, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of this Lord, and so be happy in this life, in your union with happiness, and happy hereafter in the full fruition of happiness: whither the Lord Jesus Christ bring us all in his due time. Amen. * A love of thanksgiving, bearing thankfulness in its nature. + Or constrained by the force of that love. That is, of God himself in Christ. CONCLUSION. "And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified,” Acts xx. 32. Neo. Well, sir, at this time I will say no more, but that it was a happy hour wherein I came to you, and a happy conference that we have had together. Surely, sir, I never knew Christ before this day. O what cause have I to thank the Lord for my coming hither, and my two friends as a means of it! and, sir, for the pains that you have taken with me, I pray the Lord to requite you; and so beseeching you to pray the Lord to increase my faith, and to help my unbelief, I humbly take my leave of you, praying, "the God of love and peace to be with you. Nom. And truly, sir, I do believe that I have cause to speak as much in that case as he has; for though I have outstript him in knowledge, and it may be also in strict walking, yet do I now see, that my actions were neither from a right principle, nor to a right end; and, therefore, have I been in no better a condition than he. And truly, sir, I must needs confess, I never heard so much of Christ and the covenant of grace, as I have done this day.* The Lord make it profitable to me; and I beseech you, sir, pray for me. Ant. And truly, sir, I am now fully convinced that I have gone out of the right way, in that I have not had regard to the law, and the works thereof, as I should; but, God willing, I shall hereafter (if the Lord prolong my days) be more careful how I lead my life, seeing the ten commandments are the law of Christ; and I beseech you, sir, remember me in your prayers. And so, with many thanks to you for your pains, I take my leave of you, beseeching the "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be with your spirit." Amen. Evan. "Now, the very God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make * This is here fitly put into the mouth of Nomista, the prevailing of legal principles and practices among professors being much owing to legal preaching; the success whereof is not to be wondered at, since it is rowing with the stream of nature. you perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Heb. xiii. 20, 21.—John viii. 36, "If the Son make you free, you shall be free indeed.”—Gal. v. 1, 13, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. Only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."-Chap. vi. 16, "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."-Matt. xi. 25, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes."1 Cor. xv. 10, "I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."-Psalm xxxvi. 11, "Let not the foot of pride come against me." |